


A Crown of Winter Roses - Part I

by AugustStories



Series: Moments in Harrenhall [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Crown of Winter Roses, F/M, Guilt, Jealousy, M/M, Rhaegar's Rebellion Plot, Tourney at Harrenhal, the aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 10:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18798766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustStories/pseuds/AugustStories
Summary: In the aftermath of Rhaegar's stunt, his lady wife and his knight band together to show him that this was a step too far.





	A Crown of Winter Roses - Part I

**Author's Note:**

> As I dive back into writing for this series we get another glimpse at the past, more to come for this and "Blood of the First Men" soon.
> 
> I have hinted at a few places already what happened at the Tourney of Harrenhall and I want to write that out in glimpses, this is just another glimpse of such.

Part I: A Sun, a Star and a Cornered Dragon 

“I hear I have you to thank for the red on my husband's face.”

Arthur snorted and sent another stone flying into the lake, watching how it bumped over the surface three times before sinking into the water. Wordlessly he bent down to fetch another from the shore, listening to the steps approaching him but yet giving it any more attention. Instead he straightened up and swung his arm once more, the stone got sent flying, hit the surface a couple of times and then sunk.

“Unfortunately it might all be vanished by the time the feast will begin tonight, I fear, some humiliation would have done him good.”

“I can do it again.” Arthur snarled out quietly, voice barely above a whisper and he grabbed a full hand full of pebbles in the next second, shifting them over into his left hand when his new companion settled on his right side. “Harder. And with my fist instead of my hand.”  
“I don't think that will be necessary, he's quite shocked from the first one still.” Elia mentioned casually and a very brief glance over to her showed her staring out over the lake as well, maybe trying to make out the strange isle in the distance as Arthur had tried for a while to calm his head and heart.

He opened his hand and stretched it out towards Elia who took a few pebbles for herself, both of them quietly playing this little game for a while.

“Don't blame her,” Arthur began to speak again when he felt like it and he felt Elia's dark eyes on himself quickly, her hair tucked back into a braid. He threw a look over his shoulder before continuing, waving the household guards off who had followed Elia, waiting further up the meadow, “Lady Lyanna didn't know Rhaegar was planning this, no one knew.”  
“I saw your face when Rhaegar rode away from the Stark girl, you didn't know and if you didn't, no one did.” Elia said in a tone that swung somewhere between frustration and exasperation, crossing her arms in front of her chest when she ran out of pebbles.

“I'm sorry, Elia, I...”

“Don't.” She cut his starting apology off before Arthur could have really started. Elia turned to face him and set a hand upon his right arm, “You have nothing to apologize for, you are not standing in for Rhaegar's mistakes, you hear me?” Elia demanded and Arthur turned his gaze away from her gentle one, he nodded though. “And further more you are also not going to help him out of this one. Let him dig that hole all by himself. He is smart enough to build himself his own ladder.”

“I'm still sorry.” Arthur told her when she was done and Elia gave a quite unlady-like snort, her hand got raised and she tapped his chin until he looked at her again.  
“Did you hurt yourself when you slapped him?” Elia wanted to know and Arthur chuckled, “Good. As much as I would like him to burn even hotter in his own created shame, I don't want to see you hurt.”

“How are you so calm?”

“Oh, I'm not calm,” Elia corrected him, even when she seemed so composed and almost cool about it, her hair was still perfectly braided and set, nothing in her orange dress showed any signs of angry fretting. “I am angry with him, I am frustrated because he is running wild with his whims and ideas again without telling me. Without telling you beforehand. I told him to go about with his underhanded rebellion, make plans I told him, create alliances to protect our children's future,” she set a hand upon her stomach, nothing could be seen yet but there had been long arguments over whether or not her presence here was a good idea in her condition but Elia had won in the end and come along to Harrenhall. “I told him to do what he thinks is necessary to achieve safety and stability for the realm. Under one condition. I know, and you know. Wasn't that much to demand, was it now?”

“No, it wasn't,” Arthur agreed, his chest was still hurting with the stab of disappointment over Rhaegar not having trusted him with his ideas, for not having talked to him, for not having even given him a chance to talk him out of this lunatic idea. “He should have talked to us, you more than me even in this. Not like I was expecting a flower crown.”  
“The blue would have suited you,” Elia snickered and Arthur sent her a scoff as she took some steps closer to the shore of the lake still, “And it would have caused less of a scandal, that's for sure.”

“I don't believe that.”

“Arthur, Aerys loves you more than he ever loved Rhaegar. He wouldn't have been impressed by it, but he would not be as gleeful as he is now. And I would have felt less insulted as well.” Elia showed her spirit and Arthur gave a twitchy brief smile over it, sighing when Elia hooked herself under his arm. “Come on, let's go back before someone starts wondering where we went.” Arthur snorted because the people who knew him wouldn't wonder at all about him having disappeared for some alone time.

And Elia was probably expected to hide in shame and anger.

Elia tugged on his arm though, giving him no choice but to follow her example of walking up the small hill again. They took the long way round back to the castle and the first people they encountered were household guards who lowered their heads in respect and didn't let it look as if they were thinking anything about anything. Elia insisted on him walking her up to the small solar that connected her rooms with that of Rhaegar's, Arthur mused that confronting Rhaegar in the privacy of a closed room was certainly preferable over doing it in public. The perfect outcome would have been a moment of just the two of them somewhere where no one could hear Arthur scream his lungs out.

Unfortunately he didn't get it because when Elia pushed open the solar door, a tall figure whirled around in front of the fireplace and Rhaegar's eyes went wide when he laid sight of them. Elia pushed Arthur into the room and then closed the door with a silent click, “Before anyone says even something, remember we're inside. Surrounded by too many curious ears.” Arthur looked away from Rhaegar and towards the books in the corner, Elia walked over to the settee, watching them both. “I believe there are two people in this room who deserve an apology, Rhaegar. And I can tell you who will need more convincing that you actually mean it.”

“Elia...”

“Wrong choice.” Elia deadpanned and Arthur briefly glanced over to her, he found her glaring up at Rhaegar, brows set, lips thinned, she was truly pissed this time, no understanding left.  
“Can you give us a moment alone then?” Rhaegar wanted to know and Arthur twitched quite involuntarily, he didn't want to imagine how easy it would be to stop being angry and just forgive Rhaegar everything again if he was alone with him.

Elia must have seen his reaction or sensed his reluctance because she simply said, “no. I deserve an explanation just as much as Arthur does. I'm not going to leave you alone, just so you can sweettalk him into not being angry again, that has happened way too often in the last moons. Act your age, Rhaegar, and stand there and explain to us why you gave a crown of flowers to a girl of five and ten. A betrothed girl of five and ten! The only daughter of the most powerful man in the North! I thought you wanted allies, not enemies!”

“I didn't know she was betrothed.”

“And to Robert Baratheon, of all people! Of all the Lords you could have insulted, you of course picked the son of the man who was your father's best friend. You of course picked the man whose temper is well known across the Seven Kingdoms, who wants to bet that he has already challenged you to a duel? Aerys would certainly find it amusing,” Elia snapped and her anger let the Dornish accent flare up brightly, “And let me assure you, Rhaegar, that would be a fight I am not letting you brush off on Arthur.”

“I have never sent Arthur to fight my battles for me!” Rhaegar sniped back at her and Arthur closed his eyes, great, now they were fighting because of him, just what he wanted. “Lady Lyanna was the mystery knight from the lists.” Silence reigned after Rhaegar's sudden outburst and Arthur gave himself a moment before he turned to watch the couple again, Elia was staring up at Rhaegar but looked over to Arthur when she saw him move.

“Is that true?”

“Yeah,” Arthur answered quietly and Rhaegar's eyes flashed over to him, worry in them so overwhelming that Arthur couldn't meet his eyes, Rhaegar had understood that he had hurt them both. “We found her in the forest when we were out looking, she was trying to hide the armor and the shield.” Arthur's explanation was spoken towards Elia but he didn't take his attention off of Rhaegar because when the other made a move as if to step towards him, Arthur raised a hand in a clear 'don't' sign, Rhaegar froze. “She got hurt because she had no experience at all in jousting. I brought her back to her brothers and Rhaegar took the shield to Aerys...”

“...and then made up the story about the ambush,” Elia finished his sentence flawlessly and sent another glare up at Rhaegar, “Wouldn't I have liked to know about that right that evening. And what part in that explains her need for a flower crown? Rhaegar, she is almost a child still.” Rhaegar blew out a breath, there was nothing composed about him anymore and Arthur's instincts fought against his hurt feelings.

“It was a mistake, a spur of the moment thought that I could honor her like that. I wouldn't have done it if I had known she was betrothed,” Rhaegar made clear and opened the top string on his tunic, “I know how it looks like now.”  
“Do you?” Arthur found himself suddenly snarling out as something snapped in him and Rhaegar's head swivelled around to gape at him, the side of his face was still red and if he wanted to Arthur would be able to set his fingers onto their perfect mirror image on Rhaegar's cheekbone. “Do you really? Because that certainly explains why you're up here, hiding yourself away instead of doing damage control.”

“How would I go about damage control?” Rhaegar wanted to know and took a step forward, Arthur immediately took one back, closer to the door again, “No one knows she was the mystery knight. I can't honor her for something that has to remain secret.”  
“No,” Arthur agreed with him and sharpened his voice for the first time with him ever, “Instead you crown a betrothed girl in front of the biggest tourney crowd we had in ages, passing over your lady wife who in only a few weeks will announce to the realm that she is carrying a child again. Your child. You insult the North by... basically making a pass on the Warden's only daughter who is betrothed to the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands! You pissed off the entirety of Dorne! Three lost allies before it could even come to pass, Rhaegar!” His voice had risen despite him not wanting to and Elia had gotten to her feet again as well, it was Rhaegar though whom Arthur focused on, letting anger win out. “You don't know what you've done! I don't know what you are blinded by but you better snap out of it soon before your rash decisions make us all lose our heads! You promised me... you promised us you wouldn't make a move without talking to us first and now look at it! You put us all in danger! I can't protect you like this!”

“Arthur...”

“No,” Arthur shook his head and reached for the door handle, “This is not something you can talk yourself out of, not with me, not right now. Now, excuse me, I will have to convince Aerys all over again that his son had a momentary loss of his senses and that I have him under control.” Arthur spit out and opened the door, “I will see you at the feast. Elia.” She gave him a smile, understanding in her eyes, Arthur couldn't give it back but he appreciated it anyway. He glanced over to Rhaegar who was still in complete shock. “Your Grace.”

Rhaegar winced and Arthur for once wanted it to hurt.

\--

“Well,” Elia deadpanned and sank back down onto the settee again, going so far as to kick off her slippers and pulling up her legs and feet. “Never thought I'd see the day where Arthur loses his patience with you. It's astonishing really after everything and then again it's not surprising at all. I'm the one with the damaged image, he's the one with the broken heart.” She purposefully kept her eyes not looking in her husband's direction even though she knew Rhaegar was looking at her.

“I never meant to hurt you,” He said after a brief pause and she raised an eyebrow, “Or him. I am beyond grateful for the support you two have given me, for your patience and especially your understanding. Both of you. And I know today was a mistake, a terrible mistake as the highlight of a tourney where nothing is going forward as I had hoped.”  
“I admit,” Elia took over again and finally turned her head to look at Rhaegar who dragged both hands through his hair and down his face, wincing when he reached the reddened skin on his cheek, it might yet bruise after all. “Everything was thrown out of our control the moment your father announced his attendance. We're all tense and paranoid, Arthur more than any of us, but that especially should have warned you to be more careful. More considerate.”

“I know.”

“Sit down, just looking at you makes me more exhausted.” She told him and he followed the command, dropping down into a chair quite ungracefully. They looked at each other for a long moment without saying a word.  
“Are you okay?” Rhaegar wanted to know softly then and Elia nodded, “I didn't meant to insult you, you have to believe that. I couldn't do any of this without you.”

“People will talk but they always talk, I'm used to it and I can overlook it if I know that you still have your head on your neck and your mind inside it.” Elia insisted her point and Rhaegar's shoulders slumped down further. “Let them make me the betrayed wife, I'll play my part, it might just yet save us your plans. With Arthur though, you're on your own.” They fell into silence again but this time a more comfortable one, she hadn't forgiven him for his sudden lack of wits, not in the slightest but she had more important things to consider than her pride and her fondness for her husband. The child she was carrying was hopefully a son, and that son needed a kingdom to rule one day.

Her daughter needed a safe future and that was looking more and more unsure with every day Aerys kept on sitting on the throne.

“Elia?”

“Hm?”

“I know I truly fucked up today, and I will have to patch things up with Arthur, but I'm still not gonna be the one who tells him that Ashara is still slipping in and out of Brandon Stark's tent.” Rhaegar deadpanned before he picked up a journal and Elia grimaced at the closest throw pillow, that was a whole other issue she was facing.

\--

Leaving the solar with the King and Lord Whent behind, Arthur didn't dare breathe out until he had walked down another corridor and even then he kept himself from showing anything else but the perfectly composed blank facade that his youth in the Red Keep had taught him.

He debated between leaving for the silence of the guard's tower and finding some fresh air outside and ultimately chose a compromise by making for the stables. His steps echoed on the stone floor and several horses turned their heads in hope of treats but he passed by them all until he reached the back of it where the Kingsguard and the royal horses were kept for the time of this tourney. 

Aelyx kept himself in the back of the stall as if the black horse knew perfectly well that his rider had done something really stupid and shame was in order for having been used to conduct such actions. Arthur set an apple into the trough for him anyway, it wasn't as if the horse had by itself decided to trott past Elia, the other apple he had picked up at the entrance got held out for the white mare who prioritized pushing her head against his side for the first few moments before accepting the apple. He leaned against her neck and let her warmth soothe away the headache he had been trying to ignore since hours now.

Mera snorted and Arthur hummed, “If I had pushed him off, we wouldn't be in this godsbedamned mess now.” He told her and brushed a hand over Mera's neck. “I wish I could go back in time and knock him to the dirt, the crown would have gone to Ashara, the crowd would have cheered and that would have been it.”  
“I could still give the crown to her,” a quiet voice suddenly spoke up and Arthur jumped, hand going for the dagger at his hip, Mera spooked and drew back into the stall.

“Who is there?” He demanded to know in a hard tone once he had caught his breath again, he wasn't used for someone to get the drop on him.  
“Me.” The voice said and then a stall door opened five boxes down, revealing Lady Lyanna stepping out, her hand pushing a too eager brown horse back inside as she closed the door. Arthur dropped his hand away from the weapons he carried and took her in, the reddened eyes and the teartracks on her face, her hair half out of the braid and dishevveled, hay stuck to various parts of her dress. “I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you, Ser.”

He waved it away, even if Mera knocked her snout against his shoulder as if disagreeing with that dismissal, Arthur blindly reached behind himself and stroked her neck. “Are you alright, Lady Lyanna?” He wanted to know and she raised an eyebrow because the answer was rather obvious. “Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question. Unfortunately I have to tell you that handing the crown over to someone else would only make things worse now.”

Because despite Rhaegar's rather terrible choice, it would be the even grander scandal if Rickard Stark's daughter now disregarded the Crown Prince's attention by giving the crown away. Even if she gave it to Elia, even then it would still be an insult to the Crown.

“I didn't want this.”

“I know.” Arthur assured the girl who was really still half a child, only a few years older than Allyria, the same wish for freedom in her eyes. “He meant to honor you.” Arthur found himself explaining things that weren't his to explain but Rhaegar would not get a chance to so he had to do it. “For the courage you showed in stepping up in the lists.”

“I didn't want to...” She started but stopped immediately when the stable side door got opened and they both turned around to see who was entering, Arthur caught Oswell's eyes and saw relief turning to surprise when his sworn brother caught sight of the other presence in the otherwise silent stable. Oswell didn't comment on it, and Arthur knew exactly why, so instead he nudged his chin back and Arthur nodded at him.

“I'm sorry, Lady Lyanna, I really am.”

She nodded and turned to walk down the other side of the stable, Arthur watched her dejected form for a brief moment before followed Oswell out of the side entrance.

“Gerold wants to talk to you.”

“Great.”

\--

“He really screamed at him?” Ashara wanted to know when she helped Elia change her dress a few hours before the feast, this pregnancy so far wasn't wearing her down as her first had but she was constantly uncomfortable. They had retired to Elia's private rooms and still she shushed her best friend because Rhaegar was still right next door and he didn't need to hear everything.

“Arthur didn't scream but he certainly raised his voice,” she clarified and pulled up her hair so Ashara could tie up the back of her dress. “I've never seen him hurt like this before.”  
“He's never let someone close enough to get hurt before,” Ashara pointed out and then went to get the hairbrush and the box with the pins, “Rhaegar will have to grovel hard to fix this.” Elia snorted in response to Ashara's assessment, if there was one thing she knew than the reliable stubborness of the Daynes.

“You yourself will have to grovel hard soon enough, Ash,” Elia turned the conversation into a different direction when Ashara began to brush her hair, their eyes met for a moment in the looking glass. “Arthur is already in a mood, I don't think it's gonna end well if he finds out from someone else or by accident now about what you're doing with Brandon Stark. I also don't want to imagine what Andric or Oberyn will do were they to find out, your brother already has it up to here with all of us,” Elia indicated a place over her head, “He's gonna ride home and vent to Doran and then I'll get drowned in letters again. And Oberyn is riled up enough, and Brandon Stark doesn't enjoy the security Rhaegar has from Oberyn's temper.”

Ashara sighed, loudly and long, and Elia felt with her, she truly did, were the roles reversed no one would bat an eye over it, were they in Dorne no one would care but they weren't. And they weren't just any noble lady either. Childless as Andric and Eyrin Dayne still were Ashara was the heir to Starfall, she was the future Queen's lady in waiting, fooling around with Lords or Knights wasn't seemly, wasn't accepted.

Especially not if said Lord was the heir to Winterfell.

Especially not now where the entire plot of the plotted silent rebellion was carried on Arthur's trembling shoulders because he was the last one among them Aerys trusted.

A knock sounded on the door that led to the solar and Elia gave herself a quick look in the looking glass to make sure she was indeed decent before she called them in. The opening door revealed a white cloak and Oswell's bright grin. “I hope I'm not intruding?”  
“Intrude right away, Os,” Elia nodded for him to come inside, “What brings you here, you should be resting, you've been standing guard all day.” Ashara wisely busied herself with putting some things away and looking through the boxes of jewlery Elia had brought along to get out of the way and pretend she wasn't existing.

Oswell rolled his eyes and came closer, he carried a small linen bag in his right hand but he ignored that first in order to take Elia's hand and brush a kiss against the back of it. Too charming for his own good. 

“Your dearest brother wished for you to have something for tonight's feast. I volunteered to hand it over to keep him away from Rhaegar.” Oswell revealed and Elia grimaced slightly because yes, good idea, very good idea, Oberyn needed to calm down first and remind himself second that despite the tension Rhaegar was still Aerys' son and every act against Rhaegar was still an act against the King. “Where is he anyway? Would have thought to find him here, brooding at a candle or something.”

“Took off to find Jon to talk.”

“Ouch,” Oswell commented and stroked fingers over her knuckles, “Don't let Arthur hear that, he's already no pleasure to be around. Gerold already called for him to explain and then Aerys wanted a word.” Elia winced, they needed to make sure Arthur wouldn't be alone tonight or this would end badly. “If he finds out now that Rhaegar went to Jon... Listen, if Rhaegar and Arthur start fighting now...”

“They won't,” Elia interrupted before he could finish that sentence and she reached up a hand to cup the side of his face for a short moment, letting herself have these little things. “Rhaegar will apologize, fall to his knees if he has to. Everything stays on course, and if I have to be the one bringing the North onto our side then be it. Lord Rickard is a reasonable man, he would not want Aerys on the throne either, not when things are developing as they are.” Oswell remained looking doubtful but then wiped it away with another roughish grin and held out the little bag.

“Oberyn said you should make a statement tonight.”

Elia took the bag and shook the contents out on the little table with the looking glass, she had to smile immediately, heart warming over her brother's genius. She picked up the necklace that Oberyn must have brought from Sunspear because nowhere else would someone create a piece like this. She held it out for Oswell to take and he understood, stepping behind her to set the necklace around her neck to fasten it.

It was a snake.

A snake curled around a sun made from a bright stone that Elia couldn't name at the moment but when she caught sight of herself in the mirror, dressed in Martell colors to already make a point tonight, she knew there could have been nothing better for the feast.

“Perfect,” Oswell whispered down at her and Elia smiled at him, reaching up to meet his hand on her shoulder, squeezing his gently.  
“I will thank him tonight, you better go and lay down to rest. If Rhaegar hasn't gotten it together after the feast, Arthur shouldn't be alone tonight,” Oswell leaned down to kiss her cheek and then left again.

“You two are getting too cute to endure,” Ashara commented drily when she returned to Elia's side to finish her hair, Elia rolled her eyes.  
“Says the woman who has half the realm willing to pursue her. You have your own Kingsguard smiling at you, leave me mine.” Elia whined playfully and the broke out laughing when her best friend raised an eyebrow at her in the looking glass, “Who would have thought that I end up in a marriage that is at its most stable since both sides picked a Kingsguard for themselves.”

“And then there is the realm who right now believes that marriage might fall apart because Rhaegar gave the crown of winter roses to another woman.” Ashara chuckled and set the last pin in place, “if they only knew. What are we gonna do now? Wait for Rhaegar to fix his mess?”  
“If he hadn't just brought Arthur up against himself that would have been my strategy, the less people are actively involved in this plot, the less likely someone is to slip up. But now?” She turned around to look up at her childhood friend's face, “Ashara, arrange a meeting with Lyanna Stark. In secret.”

“When?”

“Tonight, after the feast, I'll make sure Oswell is free to guard me. Make sure Arthur knows and that Rhaegar doesn't.”

“Already on it.”

“And Ash?” Elia called her friend back again when Ashara was already half out of the door, “For the sake of your brother's sanity, stay the hell away from Brandon Stark for one fucking night.”

**Author's Note:**

> Part II will include the already hinted at confrontation between Oberyn and Arthur, Rhaegar will still be groveling and working on damage control, and Lyanna will return.
> 
> As for the maybe surprise over Oswell and Elia, I had written before over Elia having "her own secrets", and I picked him because he belonged to the circle of confidantes and he is described as a charmer in canon and I just worked on that. Elia deserves to be showered in compliments by someone.


End file.
